delayed weekend pictures

Famous (apparently?) Melbourne coffee place has open their 1st overseas branch in London - it pains me to say it but I was impressed.....yes 'convict country':1 , London:0
:)

3pm on Sunday

In bed for a nap after the sunday papers and a cuppa. I am completely shattered after a whirlwind Paris-Berlin-Rome work travel madness. Switzerland tomorrow so it is not all over yet!


My Italian taxi driver cracks me up - safety is secondary to looking cool

Bonjour, de Paris!

view of Paris from my taxi on my way to work.
Sorry for the MIA - life took over and I got lazy. Blogging will resume soon!

Homemade weekend dinners

First BBQ of the year.
- homemade beef burger
- veggie pasta made with chilli peppers, courgettes, and 1 dry chilli for a spike of heat
- new potatoes dressed with mayo and mustard
- belly of pork with homemade honey and soy sauce glaze
- muchroom grilled with cream cheese
- spicy chicken wings (not shown)
it was too much...but that's what makes a bbq. Overeating / meat feast is compulsory


Tonights dinner
- belly of pork stuffed with wild game meat (bought from Borough Market)
- potatoes glazed with butter and loads of black pepper
- grilled asparagus with stilton butter

Borough Market

Me likey! Go left handers!






raclette - yum!












carrot cake baked in terracotta pots...pretty but not so sure about it




check out this cake! a tribute for the royal wedding! So crazy I love it. I don't think it is for sale












Queue for Monmouth coffee - No, I don't get it, only because I am a tea drinker


Scott's lunch - Super famous 'Brindisa' Chorizo sandwich. Gotta try it at least once before you try other food stalls


My lunch - seafood thai green curry


Reason we made the trip to London Bridge for the market? I had my driving theory test around the corner and I passed! Hence the celebratory drink!


View from the bus - gorgeous gray in London

First harvest 2011!!!!

Scott is clearly trying to look nonchalant with his Mona Lisa smile while I was clearly looking very happy! Well chuffed!!!
1 year of waiting and allowing the plant to settle its roots and we can finally harvest our first crop!
Jasmine: it keeps cropping so there will be some left in September for you!


we made strawberries and rhubarb crumble to celebrate! No 'after' picture of the crumble as Scott went straight for the kill when its cooked and slice it up. We are an impatient lot when it comes to eating


since we are on the subject of food...I might as well show you dinner too. Slow cooked lamb - 4 hours of magic in the oven while we work the soil in the garden. My theory is anything cooked for that long will taste amazing - never had a bad stew. I insist you go try it - chuck in the usual stew ingredients; tomatoes, onions, garlic (keep them whole then squeeze out the soft flesh and mix it in or pop it straight into your mouth for garlic heaven), herbs, carrots etc, go do something productive for 4 hours (gardening, online shopping, watching reruns of MadMen, fix all the missing buttons on clothes you chucked in the corner - admit it now! we all have a 'chuck' corner) then say Amen when the kitchen timer goes 'ping'!

Sunshine!!

Summer is coming!!!...the clock has changed... longer daylight...my tulips and daffodils are all out...and my kitchen window ledge looks like this!

lots and lots of corns, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and chillies. First batch to sprout. More to go...

Everything is freaking coming back to life!

L: neighbour's flowers that tumbles into my garden so I share the joy!
R: mini red currant flower - they flower first then the raspberries


We decided to make the raised bed at the end of the garden into our fruit section - all the berries and currants. We bought and planted blackcurrants and an additional gooseberry plant - you probably can't see it but its there! I don't think we will get any fruit this year from the new plants (dang!) but like they say...patience is a virtue!

We have grand plans for the garden this year...stay tuned for the great unveiling!

Scotland vs. Brazil

Fuel before the big game






on the way in....superb atmosphere. You can always rely on the Scots for good atmosphere / good banter to make up for the 'not so good' performance on the pitch! (I hope Scott is not reading this!)
Desperately looking for a piper for the wedding...there must be a piper somewhere in KL/Singapore!


Scots love their drinks. This is a good reminder that we need to stock up big time for the wedding...no pussy footing on single digit number of cans per person here...we are talking double digit pints per person (and this obviously exclude spirits or champagne). Do they sell beer in barrels in Malaysia? Must remember to speak to Uncle Don when I am back in town.




final score? We lost...2-nil...could have been worst....it was a friendly afterall